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U.S. Department of Energy
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Organic contaminants and retinoids in Atlantic tomcod from two estuaries in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Conference ·
OSTI ID:40184
;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, Moncton, New Brunswick (Canada). Gulf Fisheries Centre
  2. Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada). Freshwater Inst.
Atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) were collected in November 1993 from Miramichi Bay and Kouchibouguac Lagoon, on the Gulf of St. Lawrence coast of New Brunswick, Canada. The Miramichi has a long history of industrial and municipal activity, while Kouchibouguac Lagoon is within a National Park. Livers from male and female tomcod from each site were analyzed for organic contaminants. Sub-samples of the livers were analyzed for retinol (A{sub 1}), dehydroretinol (A{sub 2}), retinyl palmitate (A{sub 2}), and tocopherol (E). In addition, pooled livers from female smooth flounder (Pleuronectes putnami) from each site were analyzed for organic contaminants. Tomcod livers from the Miramichi had about 30x higher mean concentration of tri and tetrachloroveratrole (18 ng/g), and 6x higher concentration of pentachloroanisole (4.6 ng/g), than those from the Kouchibouguac. Total PCB congener concentration in liver was 1.5x higher in tomcod (116 ng/g), and 8x higher for smooth flounder (211 ng/g) from the Miramichi than the Kouchibouguac. Smooth flounder do not leave the estuaries, as tomcod do, during the summer. Little retinol or dehydroretinol was detected in tomcod livers from either site. Retinyl palmitate stores were lower in livers of fish from the Kouchibouguac, while tocopherol was detected but did not differ between sites.
OSTI ID:
40184
Report Number(s):
CONF-9410273--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English